59 feet below the temple of the god Quetzalcóatl, which is a pyramid that still stands in the destroyed city of Teotihuacan in Mexico, several bouquets of offering flowers have been unearthed.
An important god in ancient Mesoamerica was called Quetzalcóatl, which translates to “Plumed Serpent.” Ancient Mesoamerica was a historical region that extended from the middle of Mexico all the way to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica.
It was believed that this god was responsible for the creation of people and that he gave maize to humanity. Because of this, it is possible that offerings of flowers were discovered buried beneath the temple of this god.
An archaeologist from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History named Sergio Gómez stated that the stems are in good shape and are still bound with the cotton-made cords that were used originally.
Gómez informed the Mexican news site La Jornada that there are a total of four bouquets of flowers that are in extremely good shape and that they are still wrapped with ropes that are most likely made of cotton.
“This is a really important find because it speaks of the rituals that were carried out in this location,” said the archaeologist who made the discovery.
According to Gómez, it is too soon to establish what kind they are; nonetheless, he intends to unravel this enigma in the near future.
“Even though we do not know the exact date of when they were deposited, because we just took them out this week, they must be very old and correspond to the first phases of Teotihuacan, between 1,800 and 2,000 years ago,” Gómez explained. “Even though we do not know the exact date of when they were deposited, because we just took them out this week.”
“We have uncovered full artefacts that were placed in this shoot; the ceramics are likewise from the Zacuali and Miccaotli periods, from the beginning of our era, between the years zero and 200 after Christ,” the researchers said.
Gómez has spent the better part of the past eleven years excavating the abandoned city, sifting through the old soil, rocks, and pyramids in search of hints about the people who previously called the area home.
Teotihuacan is located around 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Mexico City. This ancient city is a complex maze of palaces, temples, residences, workshops, markets, and streets. It is also home to enormous pyramids of the sun and moon.
It is believed that construction of the city began in the year 100 BC and continued until the eighth century. With a population that reached 200,000 at its height, archaeologists believe that it was one of the most influential civilizations in pre-Columbian North America.
Despite the fact that Teotihuacan has been investigated for over a century and a half, just 5 percent of the site has been excavated. During the course of his excavations, Gómez unearthed more than 100,000 objects from within the ancient city and more especially from beneath the three pyramids that are still intact.
On the other hand, the flowers that are being offered are the first intact plant elements that have ever been discovered at the location.
“It is really relevant because it will offer us indicators of the flora that was used for ritual reasons,” Gómez said. “It will give us signs of the flora that was utilized for ceremonial purposes.”
“In this same context, while sifting the dirt, several kilos of charcoal were recovered as a result of a ritual ceremony that included the burning of seeds and fruits,” the author writes.
In 2011, archaeologists discovered more offerings at the base of the pyramid. These offerings included the skeletal remains of three humans, animal remnants, and a spooky green mask that was worn during ceremonies approximately 2,000 years ago.
When the mask was found, an investigator with the Zacatecas INAH Center named Perez Cortez issued a statement saying, “We know [the offerings were] put as part of a dedication ceremony.”
The jade mask is unique in that it is the only one of its kind to be found in the old city. It was carved from a single piece of jade stone.
